1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system and, more particularly, to a computer system adapted for use with a vehicle to alert a driver to conditions present in the environment of the vehicle and to allow control of data processed by the computer.
2. Background of the Related Art
The need for communication of information is becoming increasingly more important to both consumers and businesses. As a result, the presence of data processing systems is becoming pervasive. One market sector which has recognized the importance of data processing systems is the automobile industry. Today""s automobiles are typically equipped with numerous data processing devices such as cellular phones, two-way and one-way radios, televisions and onboard computer systems configured to support speech recognition, navigational functions, video information transmission and reception, Internet communication and the like.
One problem with equipping vehicles with data processing devices is the potentially detrimental impact on the driver of the vehicle. The operation of the data processing systems requires the attention of the driver, thereby distracting the driver from his or her driving environment. As a result, the driver""s ability to safely operate the vehicle is compromised. Conventional systems require the operator of the vehicle to assess the particular circumstances of the vehicle""s environment and make a determination of the degree to which the operator""s attention should be directed to operation of the vehicle instead of the data processing devices. However, if the driver misjudges the situation, the result may be harmful to both the operator and other people in the proximity of the vehicle, thereby resulting in property damage and/or personal injury or death. Further, the possibility of the misjudgment by the operator is made more likely in cases where the driver has little or no control over the communication of the information. For example, the driver may be retrieving a voice mail message while operating the vehicle under conditions which require his/her exclusive attention. In the event of a lengthy transmission, the only option provided to the driver is to terminate the communication link and reestablish the link at a later time. In the case of the lengthy voice mail, the driver must listen to the entire recording again including those portions already heard in the previous communication link, thereby significantly increasing the overhead time spent in retrieving and listening to the voice mail. As a result, drivers are more typically inclined to disregard or postpone the most appropriate and safest response to environmental conditions in order to avoid interrupting a data communication.
If, on the other hand, the driver""s attention is directed exclusively to the operation of the vehicle in the midst of a communication link, the driver risks losing control over the flow of information. Specifically, some information may be transmitted or received without the driver""s intent to do so. As a result, corrective action must be taken by the operator after recovering from the circumstances which provided the initial distraction. In some cases corrective actions may not even be possible.
Therefore, there is a need for a data processing system which is responsive to environmental conditions and/or provides a mechanism for controlling data communications under particular circumstances.
The invention generally provides an apparatus, article of manufacture and method for signal processing. In one aspect of the invention, a computer system for detecting and responding to operating conditions of a vehicle is provided. The computer system comprises one or more sensors configured to collect operating condition information; a signal processing unit coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to receive and process at least the operating condition information; and at least one of one or more input devices and one or more output devices coupled to the signal processing unit. The sensors provide the operating condition information to the signal processing unit. The signal processing unit is configured to modify the operation of at least one of the input devices and the output devices when the occurrence of an emergency operating condition is determined.
In another aspect of the invention, a computer system for detecting and responding to operating conditions of a vehicle comprises: one or more sensors; one or more input/output (I/O) devices disposed in a cab portion of the vehicle; a signal processing unit comprising a buffer memory and a memory containing predetermined operating condition threshold values; and a transceiver coupled to the signal processing unit configured for wireless communications. The signal processing unit is configured to process operating condition information collected by the one or more sensors. In addition, the signal processing unit causes at least one of preserving a state of a data processing session and terminating a communication link when the predetermined threshold values are satisfied. In addition, the buffer memory is adapted to store information received from at least one of the I/O devices and the transceiver when the predetermined threshold values are satisfied.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a signal bearing medium containing a program which, when executed by one or more processors, causes a computer system to perform inventive steps is provided. The steps comprise receiving vehicle operating condition information, determining whether one or more operating condition information thresholds are satisfied and, if one or more operating condition information thresholds are satisfied, preserving a state of a data processing session between a user disposed in the vehicle and the computer system.
In still another aspect of the invention, a method of processing data by a computer system disposable in a vehicle is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises detecting operating condition information, determining whether the operating condition information satisfies predetermined threshold values and, if the threshold values are satisfied, preserving a data processing session by modifying at least one of the transmission and reception of information.